Bladen County election office gave special access to Dowless, former board member says

[Jane Eyre]

Source: Charlotte Observer

Destroyed ballots?

Ludlum was aware of some of Dowless’ activities, according to an affidavit filed by Ben Snyder, chairman of the Bladen County Democratic Party.

Snyder says he heard Dowless was “intentionally losing voters’ absentee ballots.” His source is Ludlum, who relayed details of a conversation between Dowless and Cynthia Shaw, the Bladen County Board of Elections director.

“While the exact language of each party is not certain, I understand the substance of this conversation was generally as follows:

Dowless: ‘Well, I have added a new trick’
Shaw: ‘What is it?’
Dowless: ‘I am throwing ballots into the trash.’”

Read more: https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article223514905.html

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In case you haven't heard, there is one last Congressional race that has yet to be called. North Carolina's 9th District has not elected a Democratic Congressional Representative in over 50 years. Democratic candidate and alternative energy business owner Dan McCready finished only 905 votes behind Republican candidate Mark Harris, a Baptist minister from Charlotte.


The NC Board of Elections refused to certify the results of the 9th District election and a few other elections due to some "unfortunate activities" cited by one of the state BOE members after a closed door session of the Board of Elections. The BOE, including both Democratic and Republican members, voted unanimously to delay certification. They will meet again on January 11 for an evidentiary hearing.


This appears to be a case of massive electoral fraud, centered around felon and "political consultant" MacCrae Dowless who has been operating an absentee by mail scheme for years in these parts. There is more coming out every few days - reports of unmarked ballots being illegally taken from voters, absentee ballots by mail requested from voters without their knowledge or consent, massive amounts of unreturned ballots from voters that may have been thrown away and now we have reports of direct collusion between the felon Dowless and the county Board of Elections.


The most likely scenario is that the 2018 election cannot be certified and we are going to have a new election some time next year. But the kicker is that Dowless worked for one of the losing Republican candidates in the primary and the number of questionable ballots he collected leaves doubt as to whether Harris should have been the candidate in the general election in the first place. So the Republicans in the state's General Assembly are trying to pass a law to require a new primary so that they can dump Harris.

[PaulX2]

1. As Long As Every Republican That Committed An Election Crime Is Prosecuted All Will Be Good

In North Carolina (as anywhere).

Of course that won't happen.

When Republicans commit crimes to help other Republicans get elected they never go to prison.

Prison is for poor people who can't afford "good" lawyers.

[mickswalkabout41]

8. I agree

Voting while republican is the only way they allow.

[bluestarone]

2. Every RED state

Should be investigated!!!!!!

[blm]

3. Wisconsin comes to mind.

Expose what happened in N.C. and you’ll see what happened in other swing states.

[Botany]

4. I have met republican poll workers and BOE workers who seem like nice people but ...

... @ their core they see their jobs not to run fair and clean elections but to insure
that republicans maintain power because that is just the way it should be.

BTW "Pastor" (he is a Baptist Pastor) Harris PAID FOR MacCrae Dowless to commit
his crimes and so please don't tell me he didn't know what he was doing.

[beachbum bob]

5. I am sure the new democratic house will have investigation and hearing on this. Federal crimes

were committed I suspect

[Cold War Spook]

6. Don't know the cost or time needed.

Every ballot a paper ballot. Boxes locked and kept sealed with at least one person from each party present until opened. No box opened until all states finished voting. Again, at least one member of each party watching vote count.

[reACTIONary]

7. In this case....

.... absentee ballots were being illegally collected and either altered or destroyed. So those measures, as good as they are, would not have helped.

[Cold War Spook]

9. Nothing can be perfect,

but how about all absentee ballots kept at postal service until picked up by authorized people from both parties and again, not opened until all states had voted. I don't know if all of this could be done and if so then what would the cost be? Which costs more, my plan or fraudulent elections.

[reACTIONary]

11. I think the idea of a special post office delivery service . ...

.... and special holding area for absentee ballots is a good idea. It could have the advantage that interference would be a federal crime and that the postal inspectors are a more or less independent, professional enforcement organization .

Good thinking !

[cab67]

10. was the primary certified?

And if so - does any state have a mechanism to undo the certified results of a vote?

(Serious question - I don't know.)

[Jane Eyre]

12. Primary was certified

It isn't clear whether or not the 2018 primary results could be de-certified. The NC General Assembly currently has a veto-proof Republican majority in both chambers until the new legislators are sworn in at the beginning of 2019. So they recently passed a bill requiring a new primary for any special election that might be called. Governor Cooper has already vetoed that bill, but it is on the calendar for tomorrow so I am sure that they will override the veto.

Former NC Supreme Court Justice Bob Orr, a Republican, says that the Republican bill requiring a new primary may be unconstitutional:



https://www.charlotteobserver.com/opinion/op-ed/article223264760.html